Electric floor lamp



June 12, 1934. BQYE 1,962,421

ELECTRIC FLOOR LAMP Filed Dec. 19, 1932 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 LIE-met; H.(B03184 955 if W figs,

J. H. BOYE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 June 12, 1934.

ELECTRIC FLOOR LAMP Filed Dec. 19, 1952 Patented June 12, 1934 UNITEDSTATES PATENT OFFICE 6 Claims.

This invention relates to the art of electric floor lamps, and hasreference more particularly to an improved cluster head for such lamps.

One well known and extensively used type of floor lamp employs a hollowcluster head made up of a lower bowl or base section mounted on theupper end of the tubular stem of the lamp, an intermediate or bodysection in the form of a short cylinder or. ring carrying the radially10 branching hollow arms of the lights and the switch, and an upper capor cover section; the three sections of the head being clamped togetherby a lower nut or an annular shoulder on the lamp stem and a collar faston the central mast that supports the lamp shade. Within the hollow headis a vertical yoke or hickey formed with short upper and lowerhorizontal arms, the lower arm being apertured and tapped to engage withthe upper threaded end of the lamp stem, and the upper arm beingsimilarly apertured and tapped to receive and support the lower threadedend of the shade mast. The main conductor cord extends upwardly throughthe lamp stem and the lowerarm of the hickey, whence the branch cordspass therefrom through the switch to the several arms of the lights.

This construction is faulty in several respects. The central section ofthe head carrying the light arms and the switch has a mere friction fitbetween the base and cap sections, so that, after the lamp is assembled,anyone, by taking hold of one of the light arms to turn the head inorder to correct a looseness of the head on the lamp stem which oftenappears after the lamp has been delivered to a customer, will easilytwist the branch wires around the hickey, cutting the insulation of thewires, and causing short circuits or breaking the switch, since thefrictional grip of the arm-carrying section of the head on the top andbase sections and of the lower end of the hickey on the base section isnot sufficient to prevent relative rotation of the arm-carrying sectionand the base section and hickey, with the disastrous results abovementioned.

One object of the present invention is to provide a cluster head thatwill obviate the above-mentioned faults, and this I accomplish through anovel construction whereby all the parts of and within the head aresecurely locked against any relative rotation, whereby the wiring cannotbe disturbed after it is once installed.

Again, in the known construction of cluster head above described thehead and stem must be assembled at the factory, since if the stem beunscrewed from the head, the parts of the latter will fall apart. This,together with the base which is also usually attached to the lower endof the stem at the factory, creates a large and bulky package, and makesimpossible a customers choice between different styles of heads andstems 36 when purchasing.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a floor lamp ofsuch a character and construction that at least the head and stem can beseparately assembled in separate units and packed and shipped in unitboxes. As the base is usually screwed onto the lower end of the stem,this may also be packed and shipped in unit boxes if desired. This notonly greatly reduces the size, bulk and weight of packages, but acustomer may, if he so desires, make a selection between difierentornamental styles of head and stem, and also select any style of basedesired.

As will be seen from the following detailed de scription, theconstruction of my improved floor 7 lamp is such that the cluster headand stem, as well as the base if desired, can be assembled by merelypassing the main cord through the stem and base and then screwing theparts together, and this construction efiectuates a still further 30object of the invention, which is to provide a floor lamp constructionsuch that its several unit parts can easily be assembled by the customerafter the lamp has been delivered without requiring previous assemblingat the factory or the services of a mechanic or electrician to set thelamp up for use.

In the accompanying drawings I have illustrated two slightly differingphysical embodiments of the invention, and referring thereto:-

Fig. 1 is an elevation of the complete cluster head shown as mounted onthe upper end of a lamp stem.

Fig. 2 is a horizontal section through the head on the line 2--2 of Fig.1.

Fig. 3 is a vertical axial section through the head and through thelower and upper portions of the shade mast and lamp stem respectively.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged vertical axial section First describing theembodiment of the invention illustrated in Figs. 1 to 4 inclusive, 10designates the usual tubular stem of the lamp, which ordinarily consistsof a section of gas pipe, to the upper end of which is attached by meanslater described a hollow sectional cluster head. In the form hereinshown, this cluster head comprises a hollow generally bowl-shaped basesection 11, preferably a casting, an annular intermediate or bodysection 12 that fits into the upper end of the base section 11 andprojects somewhat thereabove, and a cap or cover section 13, the lowerend of which rests upon and telescopes over the upper end of the bodysection 12 in the manner clearly shown in Fig. 3. The base section 11may be plain or may be given an ornamental configuration as indicated inFig. 1. On the lower end of the base section 11 is an externallythreaded hollow boss 14.

Rigidly mounted at its lower end in the base section 11 (and preferablyintegral with the latter) is a central hickey taking the form of avertical tube 15, which communicates at its lower end through the bottomof the ease section 11 and hollow boss 14 with the tubular lamp stem 10to permit the passage of the conductor cord C therethrough. The tube 15is formed with a lateral hole 16 for the passage of the conductor cordinto the hollow of the head, wherein the several branches 0 from thecord C lead through a switch S into and through a plurality of tubularbranch arms 17 that carry the lights 18, the switch S being mounted asusual on the inner face of intermediate head section 12. The upper endof the hickey tube 15 is threaded to receive a pipe union 19, andoverlying the latter is the centrally apertured cap or cover member 13.The three sections of the head are united as a self-contained unit bymeans of a hollow clamp screw 2i) (Fig. 4) that extends through theaperture of the cap 13 and screws into the upper end of the pipe union19. By adjusting the pipe union 19 on the hickey tube 15 to just therequired height, the parts or" the head may be tightly and securelyunited. The top of the clamp screw 20 has a threaded countersink 21(Fig. 4) to receive the lower threaded end of the usual shade mast 22,the tube being rendered relatively non-rotatable when desired by a locknut 23. By backing ofi the lock nut 23, the shade mast 22 may bedisconnected without disturbing the integrity of the head. If it isdesired to disassemble the head, this maybe done by turning down thelock nut 23 and then backing out the clamp screw 20 by rotating the mast22 The upper peripheral portion of the base section 11 of the head isformed with a group of radially projecting seats 24, best shown in Fig.2, these seats embracing the sides of the lightcarrying arms 17. Thisconstruction securely locks the arms 17 against any rotational movementrelatively to the base section 11 of the head, and since the hickey tube15 is rigid with the base section, any rotational movement imparted toany of the arms 1'7 does not and cannot disturb the original setup ofthe wiring within the hollow head, and consequently preserves the wiringagainst abrasion, tension or other injury and possible short-circuitingand strain on the switch.

the arms 17 are sheathed. These covering arms 27 may, as shown in Fig.5, continue the ornamental character and effect of the base section 11up to the base of the lights 18. Of course they have the same mechanicaleirect of supporting the arms and locking them against rotationrelatively to the base section as do the seats 24 of the constructionfirst described. In both of the constructions shown, the arms 17 may berigidly secured to the intermediate head section 12 by passing the innerends of the hollow arms through holes in the member 12 and then swagingthem over on the inner side, as shown at 17'. This arm sheathingstructure is readily made by first assembling the arms 1'? with the headsection 12, then placing these parts in a suitable mold, and pouring inthe metal forming the complete casting ll, 27.

As above stated, the described construction permits the head and thestem, and the base also if desired, to be separately packaged in unitpackages, and the user will have no trouble in assembling the lamp,since all that is required is to pass the main cord down through thestem and through the base, then screw the head, stem and base together,and attach the socket plug and the lamp is then ready for use. There areno parts or fittings that can become loosened or displaced fromoperative position when the head and stem are separated, and if, whenthey are assembled, any looseness develops in the pipe union connection,manifestly the head can be screwed down further into the latter withoutin the least disturbing or injuring the wiring within the head.

I believe that the broad principle of a sectional cluster head structurecarrying branching light-carrying arms so constructed that the partialrotation of the head to screw the same tight into the stem cannotdisturb the wiring within the head, is new with me, and hence I do notlimit the invention to the particular mechanical embodiments of theprinciple herein disclosed for purposes of illustration, but reserve allsuch variations and modifications as fall within the spirit of theappended claims.

I claim:

1. In an electric floor lamp cluster head, the combination of abowl-shaped base section adapted to be mounted on a lamp stem and formedin its upper edge with a plurality of radially projecting seats, anintermediate annular body section fitting into the upper end of saidbase section, a plurality of tubular lightcarrying arms rigidly securedto said intermediate section and occupying said seats, a cover sectionoverlying said intermediate section, and means for uniting said sectionsas a self -contained unit.

2. In an electric floor lamp cluster head, the combination. of abowl-shaped base section adapted to be mounted on a lamp stem, aplurality of hollow arms integral with and branchfrom the upper portionof said base section, an intermediate annular body section fitting intothe upper end of said base section, a plurality of tubularlight-carrying arms secured to said intermediate section and extendingthrough said hollow arms, a cover section overlying said intermediatesection, and means for uniting said sections as a self-contained unit.

3. In an electric floor lamp cluster head, the combination of abowl-shaped base casting adapted to be mounted on a lamp stem, anannular body member fitting into and extending above the upper end ofsaid base casting, radially extending light-carrying arms rigidly andpermanently attached at their inner ends to said body member, means onsaid base casting engaged with said arms to prevent relative rotation ofsaid base casting and body member, a cover, closing the upper end ofsaid body member, and means for clamping together said base casting,body member, and cover.

4. In an electric floor lamp cluster head, the combination of abowl-shaped base casting adapted to be mounted on a lamp stem, anannular body member fitting into and extending above the upper end ofsaid base casting, radially extending light-carrying arms rigidly andpermanently attached at their inner ends to said body member, means onsaid base casting engaged with said arms to prevent relative rotation ofsaid base casting and body member, a central vertical hickey tubeintegral with said base casting and having its bore extending throughthe bottom of said base casting, a cover closing the upper end of saidbody section, and means cooperating with said tube for clamping togethersaid base casting, body member and cover.

5. In an electric floor lamp cluster head, the combination of abowl-shaped base casting adapted to be mounted on a lamp stem, anannular body member fitting into and extending above the upper end ofsaid base casting, radially extending light-carrying arms rigidly andpermanently attached at their inner ends to said body member, means onsaid base casting engaged with said arms to prevent relative rotation ofsaid base casting and body member, a central vertical hickey tubeintegral with the bottom of said base casting and extending upwardlythrough said body member, said tube having its bore extending throughthe bottom of said base casting and formed with a lateral hole for thepassage of a conductor cord, a cover closing the upper end of said bodymember, and means attached to the upper end of said tube for clampingsaid cover on said body member.

6. In an electric floor lamp cluster head, the combination of abowl-shaped base section adapted to be mounted on a lamp stem and formedwith a plurality of integral radially extending arm supports, anintermediate annular body section fitting into the upper end of saidbase section, a plurality of tubular light-carrying arms at their innerends secured to said intermediate section and engaged with saidsupports, a cover section overlying said intermediate section, and meansfor uniting said sections as a self contained unit.

JAMES H. BOYE.

